Stretcher and casket support.



W. 'DENEKE. STRETCHER'AND CASKET SUPPORT. APPLICATION man JAN. 1, 191B.

Patentmi we 11, .1918.

mw s,

WILLIAM DENEKE, or covineroiv, KENTUCKY.

srnnrcnna Ann CASKET surron'r.

Application filed January 7, 1918.

To alliwhom it may concern:

Be 'it known that I, WILLIAM DENEKE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and

resident of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stretcher and CasketSupports, of which the following is a specification. j

An object of my invention is to produce an improved support adapted toaid in supporting stretchers or caskets while placing them in ambulancesor hearses, and adapted thereby to relieve the bearers of the enteringend of the stretcher or casket, of a great proportion of theinconvenient and awkward lifting usually necessary to accomplish theplacing of the stretcher or casket within the vehicle.

This and other objects are attained in the support described in thefollowing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an ambulance having asupport embodying my invention, located thereon, the position of astretcher with relation thereto, being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental sectional perspective view of a support embodyingmy invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detail of my invention.

My improved support consists of an arm 5 slidably mounted in a way 6formed in a casing 7 adapted to be built into the side of the vehicle asshown in Fig. 1, and a supporting hook 8 suitably mounted in the arm.

Arm 5 preferably is provided with rollers 9, 10 and 11 so that itsmovement within way 6 will be free. In addition to this a roller 12 ismounted in casing 7 at the bottom of way 6 and adjacent to its outerend, as shown in Fig. 2, for assisting in this freedom of movement ofthe arm;

At the outer end of arm 5 the supporting hook 8 is located and a raisingand lowering mechanism is located on the upper surface of the arm. Uponthe inner face of the arm a spring 20 is secured, having its end bearingagainst the hook to move it to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3,when the hook is dropped. Bell crank 17 is arranged to retain the hookin elevated position by having its short arm 16 adapted to view taken onthe line Specification of Letters Patent.

necessary Patented June 11, 1918. Serial No. 210,646.

be thrown off center to bring the handle into bearing engagement withthe arm as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. As soon as the handle is movedto the dotted line position shown in Fig. 8, link 15 and hook 13 aredropped, spring 20 moving the hook to dotted line position when theupper end thereof passes shoulder 21 in passage 14.

In using my improved support it is but to move handle 18 to the fullline posit-ion shown in Fig. 3, to pull arm 5 out to its fullest extentand to then place the adjacent stretcher bar into the hook as the frontstretcher bearer arrives at the ambit lance, as shown in Fig. 1. Whilesupporting the opposite side of the stretcher the stretcher bearers pushthe stretcher into the ambulance and when the entering end is well intothe ambulance, with bracket 19 in engagement with the end of easing 7handle 18 is moved to dotted line position and hook 13 is therebydropped and moved from engagement with the stretcher. The stretcher nowbeing free may be pushed into the ambulance until it rests entirely uponthe floor thereof.

My support is equally serviceable for use in hearses in supporting oneside of one end of a casket while it is being placed in the hearse andwhen there are but two persons available for carrying the casket. Forthis purpose I have provided a supporting plate 22, see Fig. 4, whichhas an extension 23 adapted to occupy passage 14, and a link 24 adaptedto occupy the position of link 15 and to be detachably connected withbell crank 17 as by a thumb nut and bolt 25 which is shown in Fig. 3 asdetachably connecting link 15 'with bell crank 17. The upper surface ofplate 22 is roughened to prevent slippage of the casket from the platewhile the casket is being pushed into the hearse.

To use theplate it is but necessary to detach the hook link 15 from bellcrank 17, and after removing the hook, to place link 24 and extension 23in position and then connect the plate link 24. to bell crank 17 bymeans of thumb nut and bolt connection 25. The casket is then brought toposition with one corner upon the plate and while being supported by aperson upon its opposite side, it is pushed into the hearse, the armmoving in to collapsed position with relation to its casing. As soon asin collapsed position, the plate is lowered to bring the end of thecasket to rest upon the hearse floor, after which it is pushed toposition Within the hearse.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A stretcher support comprising a casing located in the side of avehicle, an arm reciprocally mounted in the casing, and means on the endof the arm adapted'to support a stretcher.

2. A stretcher.support comprising a casing located in the side of avehicle, an arm reciprocally mounted in the casing, means on the end ofthe arm adapted to support a stretcher, and means adapted to release thestretcher from the support.

3. A stretcher support comprising a casing located in the side of avehicle, an arm reciprocally mounted in the casing, a hook located atthe end of the arm, and means adapted to raise the hook to receive astretcher when the arm is in the withdrawn position and adapted to lowerthe hook to release the stretcherwhen the arm is retracted into thecasing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this th day ofJanuary, 1918.

WILLIAM DENEKE.

l/Vitnesses WALKER F. lVIURRAY,

W. THORNTON BoenRT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

